Ukrainian servicemen and Western publications are sounding the alarm: "Russia has deprived Ukraine of the initial advantage in tactical drones." In other words, Russian military drones are gaining dominance in the skies of special operations. Which drones turned out to be the most effective and how do they eventually change the scenario of military operations?
Russian Lancet drones show "miracles of technical improvement", representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are outraged. The Ukrainian military is concerned that if "previously these drones were barraging at a distance of up to 40 kilometers, now their flight capabilities have increased to 60-70 kilometers." In the American press, the new version of the Lancets is called a serious threat at all. Forbes columnist David Ex points to several cases of a drone hitting a Ukrainian military aircraft at an airfield at a considerable distance from the front line.
The work of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles does not allow the APU to safely move its troops and successfully hide. Alexander Solonko, an officer of the Armed forces of Ukraine, complained about this to The New Voice of Ukraine. According to him, the reason is that Russian Orlan drones are always hanging over their heads, preventing them from making sorties even at night.
Earlier, the American newspaper The Washington Post wrote that the Russian Armed Forces are winning in the confrontation of drones in Ukraine. "Moscow seems to have more reserves. [...] Russian teams hit secondary targets or use two drones at the same time," the publication emphasizes. "On the front line, Russia deprived Ukraine of the initial advantage in tactical drones, which was three to one," writes the European edition of The Economist .
The Russian military expert community confirms that if initially the APU had superiority in terms of drones, now it has been lost. Moreover, reports that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are winning the battle of UAVs in the special operation zone are becoming a systemic phenomenon. The Russian Defense Ministry regularly reports on the successful use of drones on the battlefield. Here are just the most recent examples of such messages: UAVs destroy enemy infantry ; UAVs attack AFU positions ; UAV operators adjust artillery fire .
All this proves the dramatically increased intensity and effectiveness of the use of Russian drones in the special operation zone. There are several reasons for this: the activity of private companies and volunteer groups, their interaction with government agencies and the ability to quickly adapt to the needs of the military.
The success of Russia's use of UAVs in Ukraine is mainly associated with the use of kamikaze drones, such as Lancet family devices and FPV drones (copters), says Denis Fedutinov, an expert in the field of unmanned aviation. The expert notes:
"Repeated examples of their defeat of enemy military equipment have largely shaped the positive image of Russian drones."
Commercial companies and volunteer groups are effective at the stage of copter development. On the other hand, government agencies also support the development of the domestic UAV industry.
At the same time, there is a need for other types of UAVs in the special operation zone, over the saturation of which Russian units have yet to work. "We are talking, for example, about small-sized multicopters. The identified need for this type of devices was covered by private support," Fedutinov points out.
"We, in fact, have two types of drones. The first is at the army and brigade level. These primarily include the already sensational "Lancets". The second is at the platoon and company levels. This is something that is collected mainly by various initiative groups," adds Oleg Makarov, co–founder of the Watfor project. – The paradox is that FPV drones, which are now widely used in the framework of the SVO, originally appeared among Ukrainians, but the Russians quickly realized the advantage of such devices."
"Everything that is happening with the UAV now can be compared with the appearance of the first guns. Initially, these were unsightly devices that boomed loudly, smoked heavily and missed the target. But those who believed in this weapon, improved it and turned out to be the winner," the expert draws a parallel.
"So it is with drones. Over the past year, a huge number of teams have appeared in Russia assembling such devices,
– says the interlocutor. – It is important that our drones are not just produced and delivered to the front, but also listen to the needs of military personnel. Note that as soon as there was talk that electronic warfare was working effectively against drones, everyone immediately began to solve the issue of introducing noise-proof channels."
"As a result, Russia has a lot of UAVs that allow fighters on the front line to work with high-precision weapons and perform reconnaissance of the area. But a few years ago, the ability to see and hit targets several kilometers ahead was fantastic for any platoon," Makarov points out.
Earlier, the government approved a strategy for the development of unmanned aircraft until 2030. The program provides five directions. The first concerns stimulating demand for domestic unmanned aircraft systems. The second is the development and mass production of such systems, as well as the creation of large production centers that ensure the introduction of new technologies in the creation of drones. The third implies the development of infrastructure, including the construction of airfields, heliports and promising drone ports. The fourth is the training of personnel for unmanned aircraft. The fifth is fundamental and promising research in the field of unmanned aircraft systems.
In addition, in order to form a personnel reserve of specialists in unmanned aircraft in 2024, it is planned to begin developing training modules and basic training courses in UAS and the introduction of these components into general, secondary vocational and higher education programs.
As reported by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, next year it is planned to produce about 18 thousand large and medium-sized drones, excluding devices weighing less than 1 kg. The latter should be produced "tens of thousands", he explained.
"We can already talk about the significant role of the state in the development of drones. The Ministry of Defense began to actively supply FPV drones to the front. So far, more than half of such devices are the work of small teams or "garage workshops". But this is good: it would be difficult for a large enterprise to respond promptly to the requests of the military and quickly make changes to the design," Makarov believes.
"When the conflict in Ukraine ends, then it will become fully clear for what tasks these weapons are needed and how they should look. Then large manufacturers will be able to fully connect to the process. But what is really important is the participation of the state, so it is in providing platforms for small teams of developers," the interlocutor adds.
"At these sites, people meet, communicate, conduct tests. Such meetings give an impetus to the development of each of the participants. For example, a conditional workshop buys some kind of interference-proof receiver in China. And then he finds out on the site that a neighboring team in Russia is already producing them. And then they can arrange a collaboration, – the expert points out. – Due to this, we are at least quantitatively seriously superior to our opponent. Within the framework of its, it helps a lot to work at the forefront.
Let me remind you that when the so–called Ukrainian counteroffensive was being prepared, everyone expected that the APU would take thousands of drones into the air - and there would be no salvation for us. But in fact, exactly the opposite happened."
"It was from the Russian Armed Forces that FPV drones took off and began to hit the enemy's armored vehicles. And the fact that people on the front line have the opportunity to hit a specific target 5-10 km away without a request from the same artillery or aviation is a very serious advantage. This is a kind of game-changer (a person or event that changes the course, the outcome of something - approx. VIEW). Of course, the weapon itself does not solve anything. But a complex consisting of application, manufacturing and logistics, yes," Makarov stressed.
"Modern combat operations are highly dynamic. The winner is the one who can quickly detect and hit the target. At the same time, it is desirable to spend a minimum of resources," Fedutinov added.
"Drones are also able to shorten the duration of the detection–defeat cycle. Moreover, this is done both within the framework of reconnaissance tasks, when the drone works in conjunction with ground and air strike means, and reconnaissance and strike, when the device independently hits targets. As a result, this increases the overall effectiveness of the actions of the Russian Armed Forces," he concluded.
Matvey Malgin
